It’s July and that means fantasy football season and NFL Training Camps are just around the corner. Although dynasty fantasy football is an all-year hobby, now is the time that most leagues ramp up.
This time of year is also when you must decide which strategy you want to implement for your team in 2023. One of the strategies used in dynasty football is “win now.” The definition is simple: you want to win in the current year and will do anything to do that. Below are different ways to approach your win now to help you win this season.
Check out our up-to-date 2023 Fantasy Football Rankings and buy in on some of these veterans with us.
Trading Draft Capital for Running Backs
If your team is in a win-now situation, the odds are in my favor that you already have a strong core of wide receivers leading the charge. Now you may have some strong running backs, but with the injury severity that occurs in that position, you may need more. The need for running back is where your draft capital comes into play. Remember you are playing for the 2023 (or current) season.
You’ll have to break the psychological want to have a safety net with this route. You’ll become the Los Angeles Rams of your fantasy league and say, “screw those picks,” but it will help you win now. Having a veteran who you know what they provide will always outweigh trying to correctly guess if a rookie can adapt and succeed in the NFL.
Some players you should look into that managers may have soured on in 2023 that you could capitalize on are:
- James Conner
- Kenneth Walker
- David Montgomery
- Rashaad Penny
2-for-1 Trade Deals
It could be aesthetically pleasing to look at your roster and see everyone who is a “decent enough” player. You may see no weaknesses on your roster as you consider the roster to be full of depth. In one sense, you are correct. You have depth. However, one can argue that you will never win your league if you don’t have game-changers but replaceable players on your roster.
With that said, let’s discuss how to fix this issue with the 2-for-1 trade deal. The 2-for-1 trade is when you trade two players or assets for a player of higher talent/tier to build a more robust ceiling for your fantasy team. These trades may leave your depth lacking. However, your ability to score points (and ultimately win the week) will increase with these game-changing types of players. Now I hear you saying,” Well if that player gets hurt, I will be screwed without the extra players of average talent!” To that, you can never guess an injury, and if your starting players are missing time, you will likely lose in your league anyway.
This strategy involves you looking at your players and asking, “Can they win me a week if my team fails?” Here are some players in each position that I would look to upgrade from, as the player you receive can give your team a higher potential ceiling than the one you already have on your roster. Remember you’ll have to add an asset to the deal to upgrade
2-for-1 quarterback trade targets:
Acquire Joe Burrow by trading Justin Fields + Asset.
2-for-1 running back trade targets:
Acquire Cam Akers by trading Khalil Herbert + Assets.
2-for-1 wide receiver trade targets:
Acquire Ja’Marr Chase by trading Amon-Ra St. Brown + Assets.
2-for-1 tight-end trade targets:
Acquire Kyle Pitts by trading Pat Freiermuth + Assets.
Target “Quiet” Rookies In The First Half Of The Season
Rookies can make fantasy football players tilt in either direction. During draft season, they give you the euphoric highs, and if they begin the season on a slow patch, you can hit rock bottom every time you view their name on your roster. The beauty in the psychology of this phenomenon is you can take advantage of other league-mates when they struggle with this issue. Let’s break this down with an example to help solidify the thought behind this strategy.
For this example, we will use the rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers. Mingo could begin this season struggling out of the gate for multiple reasons. Bryce Young could struggle under center to begin the year as he gets used to the speed of the NFL. Adam Thielen, an aging veteran, could start the season strong like he usually does before his veteran “legs” give out. Mingo could also struggle as he faces three straight weeks of better-than-average cornerbacks to begin his 2023 campaign.
If Mingo struggles because of the above, we must target him in a trade. Due to his non-first-round capital, fantasy football managers may begin to panic. However, his size and speed profile is a type of talent you will want to take the shot on for your fantasy team.
When the first four games wrap up within the 2023 campaign, look around at your league mates and take your shots at their rookies. It takes time in the NFL to learn the speed, the new systems, and more. Capitalize on the factor that, as humans, we want instant gratification, Grant your teammates that serotonin boosts by completing the trade, and you’ll be happy come to the end of 2023 when your lineup is the strongest, with youth to boot.
Play Your Season In Quarters
The biggest mistake people make when playing fantasy is looking ahead to the playoff weeks. The issue with that forward thinking is you have to make it to the big game to play for the championship. With that thought in mind, play your season in quarters. You want to break it down by every 3-4 weeks. Win those sections of the season, watch your record peak, and run your league with relative ease.
By playing in quarters, you can look ahead at the schedule, manage the team correctly to secure wins, and have an advantage over your opponents.
Don’t Ignore NFL Draft Capital and Talent
Some people like to read into situations and base all their decisions on that factor. However, these scouts and coaches are more intelligent than anyone on the couch watching the game. They understand the behind-the-scenes, why teams draft people with a specific capital, and what talent base they bring to the game.
If you see a big wide receiver over six-foot height and weighing more than 215 pounds with first or second-round capital struggling to begin their NFL career, do your best to capture him in a trade and build your team. The scouts know what they want regarding game-changing ability, contested catch rates, and more. Suppose the player fits the profile but struggles to begin his career; target that player. You may have some players fail like N’Keal Harry, but you’ll hit more often than you’ll miss following this rule.
Remember these rules when you look at your dynasty teams and decide if you are in win-now mode. If your team is ready to win this year and next, follow these methods to maximize going all in for the championships now.
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